Ultra Transcenders is a series of independent study guides for Microsoft certification exams. The idea behind it is simple: memorised answers might get you through one exam, but understanding carries you through the next one, the interview and the design review. So the books explain the knowledge an exam expects, in a form you can still use long after exam day.
The books so far
Four books are out now on Amazon, in Kindle and paperback:
- AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator: know which role, setting or tool does the job, and why. Fifteen chapters, from identities and access to networks, storage and backup.
- AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions: choose the right design, and explain why. Fourteen chapters covering identity, governance, data, business continuity and infrastructure design.
- AZ-700: Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions: know where the traffic flows, and why. Sixteen chapters on address planning, hybrid connectivity, private access, load balancing and network security.
- SC-500: Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads: know which control enforces it, and why. Sixteen chapters on securing identities, networks, data, AI workloads and security operations.
Three more are coming soon, all on Azure AI:
What makes them different
Every book is organised by technology, not by exam objective, so each chapter works as a stand-alone reference for one area. Inside each one you’ll find:
- Comparison tables for the close calls: which service, tier or topology fits which requirement, and why the alternatives fall short.
- Common trap callouts that name the answers that look right but aren’t, and explain the reasoning.
- Architecture diagrams for the structures and flows that are hard to picture from text alone.
- Key takeaways at the end of every chapter for fast revision.
- A full glossary, with every term linked to Microsoft Learn.
The books contain no exam questions. They’re written to help you answer questions you’ve never seen.
Free on this site
You don’t need to buy anything to use these:
What’s next
This blog is where new books, free Kindle weekends and study tips will appear first. Several Kindle editions will be free for a weekend over the coming months, starting with AZ-305 this weekend. To hear about the next one, follow the RSS feed or check back here.
Microsoft’s services change quickly, so the books and glossaries are checked against Microsoft Learn regularly and updated as things change.
Tony Rough
